Playing Along
by MiladyGirl
Summary: When the team goes out to celebrate a successful case, Morgan runs into his persistent ex. Blake steps in to save him and plays her part a bit too well.
**A/N**

I'm not sure this is _at all_ in character - I had a scene in my head that was, but in writing it turned out quite differently, as it so often does - and was about to discard it and put it into the 'failed attempts' pile, then decided that since I had a reader's request to do more Blake/Morgan, I'd post it anyway just in case they (and others) want to read it. If you do find them OOC: I know! :P

Also, I'm working on the next chapter of Old Wounds, and I hope I'll get the pieces together as soon as I possibly can. Please be patient! It's not forgotten and it's not abandoned. :D

* * *

Blake watched as Morgan tried to shake his persistent, drunk ex-girlfriend off in a number of ways. He tried the playful approach. The gentle one. The firm one. Eventually he was starting to get angry, but Blake knew it was because he was bothered and slightly embarrassed to make an emotional scene in public. It was unpleasant; they had decided to go out and have dinner and drinks to celebrate an unusually neatly worked case. Only she, Morgan and Rossi were still here, and when she glanced in Rossi's direction, she realised that she wouldn't get much help from him. Possible wife number four and a scotch so expensive it would have made her wallet cry distracted him.

 _Up to me, then_ , she thought and slid into the character of a possessive femme fatale as she left the table and walked towards them.

"Derek," she purred and put her hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her, and she caught his eye.

 _Play along._

He gave her an almost unnoticeable nod.

"Hey, Alex."

"I was starting to wonder where you went. And whether or not you were going to get me that wine." She turned towards the other woman as if she hadn't noticed her until now. "And who is this?"

"This is Candice, my ex-girlfriend" Morgan replied and put an arm around Blake's waist. Even though it was just an act, she felt her skin tingle with excitement at the touch.

"Hello, Candice," Alex said sweetly and held out one hand to the young, busty blonde. Her other hand rested comfortably on Morgan's arm. _Very_ comfortably. How much exercise did he do in one day to keep himself in that shape, she wondered, then decided that was not for her to know.

The younger woman didn't take Alex's hand, which didn't surprise her at all. Instead she glared at her and then at Morgan.

"Who's _she_?"

"She is Alex," Blake said in his place.

"We're dating," Morgan said, not missing a beat, and when he spoke, his hand was gently caressing the small of her back. It was away from Candice's sight and therefore not necessary for the act, and it wasn't Morgan's style to take advantage and grope a little when the chance presented itself. That could only mean one thing; he liked what he touched as much as she liked to feel said touch. Or it was just gratitude. Like patting someone on the shoulder. Yeah, that was probably it.

"So she's your _girlfriend_?" Candice laughed, as if she had never heard something as ridiculous. She wobbled a little from side to side as she tried to step a bit closer. "Wow Derek, I had no idea wrinkles turned you on."

"Well, sweetie, I guess he prefers wrinkles over stupidity since you're the one who's the ex," Alex replied in a pleasant voice, wearing a calm little smile. It was the smile rather than the words that had Candice charge at her, bringing her hand up to slap Alex right in the face.

"You _bitch_!" the younger woman screeched.

"Alright, that's enough," Alex said, still sounding completely calm, as if her cheek didn't sting from the slap. When she was just about to grab the other woman and make a formal arrest, a bouncer so bulky he made Morgan look tiny stepped in. Blake was grateful, not because she couldn't handle the situation, but because she didn't _feel_ like handling it. The evening had been a bit too nice to end with arrest and paperwork, in her opinion. One look at Morgan told her that he felt the exact same way, and even Candice seemed to have calmed down at the very sight of this hulk of a man. At least she had gotten very quiet and let him lead her away from the agents without as much as a whine in protest.

Once she was out of sight, Morgan turned to Blake and gently touched her abused cheek with his fingertips.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "That was uncalled for."

"I meddled in another woman's love life. Of course it was called for," Blake replied with a grin. "I'm fine, Derek. She put a lot of effort into it, but she still hit like a girl."

"I'm glad _you_ said it, if I had, it would have been discrimination, and I don't do that kind of stuff," he remarked and that turned her grin into a laugh.

"What about you?" she asked. "Are _you_ okay? Dignity still intact?"

He sighed.

"Yeah. Thanks for saving my ass. And I'm sorry about what she said."

"The wrinkle comment?" She waved it off. "Oh please. She'll get them too when she grows up, and I'm sure it will come as a big surprise for her."

"You don't have wrinkles," he said.

"Yeah, I do, and you know what? It doesn't bother me at all. I'm almost fifty, not twenty-five, and whatever you might have heard on the subject of women and ageing, that's actually a blessing."

He chuckled.

"Well, before we get much older, may I buy my knight in shining armour a drink to show her my gratitude?"

Blake smiled.

"Thank you, but I actually think I've had enough for tonight."

In reality, she was afraid that she'd start coming on to him for real if she fuelled her current emotions with more alcohol.

"Then I'll follow you home."

"You don't have to do that," she began, but he cut her off.

"I know. I want to."

He touched her neck and she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning out loud.

"I want to," he repeated, looking at her. She looked back, and it was as if something clicked into place. Or _out_ of place. When he leaned down, she reached up, and the impulsive kiss got deeper and more intense as neither wanted to pull back. She laced her fingers together behind his neck as he ran his hands down her back and let them come to rest on her ass.

"And I want you to come home with me," she whispered against his mouth. "That's what's scaring me. Workplace romances are never a good thing."

"Oh, why do you think Hotch and JJ only grace us with a symbolic appearance when the team is going out?" he said and kissed her again.

"Hotch and JJ?"

"Mhm. Going on two years now."

"Oh. That's… reassuring," she mumbled, and honestly she couldn't have pushed him away at this point. The kissing was too good, and the possibility of more was a bait she couldn't avoid taking. "Alright. Let's go."

She took him by the hand and lead him out of the pub, and Morgan, who was used to be the one leading, followed her with boyish eagerness.

David Rossi, who had finally managed to get rid of the woman who had recognised him and wanted to discuss serial killer's different methods in gory details, glanced at the disappearing couple and exhaled in relief. So they had _finally_ acknowledged that spark that had been hanging in the air for the better part of the year.

 _Good for them._


End file.
